Vehicle battery pack thermal barrier

Abstract

An integration assembly for a battery pack mounted between the passenger cabin floor panel of an electric vehicle and the driving surface is provided, the assembly utilizing a multi-layer thermal barrier interposed between the battery pack enclosure and the passenger cabin floor panel, where the multi-layer thermal barrier provides noise isolation, thermal isolation and vibration damping, and where the multi-layer thermal barrier is compressed when the battery pack enclosure is mounted to the vehicle. The multi-layer thermal barrier is comprised of a first layer formed from a compressible and conformable elastic material and a second layer formed from a conformable thermally insulating material. The multi-layer thermal barrier may also include a moisture barrier layer that encases the first and second layers, for example a moisture barrier layer fabricated from a plastic. A sealant may be used to seal and bond the moisture barrier layer to the battery pack enclosure.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 311,343, filed 5 Dec. 2011, and claims benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61 / 426,254, filed 22 Dec. 2010, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference for any and all purposes.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates generally to vehicle structures and, more particularly, to means for isolating the battery pack of an electric vehicle from the passenger compartment.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]A large percentage of the world's vehicles run on gasoline using an internal combustion engine. The use of such vehicles, more specifically the use of vehicles which rely on fossil fuels, e.g., gasoline, creates two problems. First, due to the finite size and limited regional availability of such fuels, major price fluctuations and a generally upward pricing trend in the cost of gasoline...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a vehicle battery pack integrated assembly that uses a battery pack enclosure that is designed to hold a plurality of batteries securely and comfortably between the passenger cabin floor panel and the driving surface. The assembly includes a multi-layer thermal barrier that provides noise isolation, thermal isolation, and vibration damping to prevent damage to the battery pack during mounting. The thermal barrier is a compressible and conformable material that seals the battery pack enclosure to the passenger cabin floor and includes a moisture barrier layer to prevent water damage. The multi-layer thermal barrier has a noise insertion loss of at least 10 dB for frequencies between 1000 Hz and 10 kHz and a damping loss factor of at least 0.1 for frequencies between 1000 Hz and 10 kHz. The second layer of the thermal barrier has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.25 W / m-K at a temperature of 1000°C and can withstand temperatures of more than 1000°C for at least 10 seconds. The first layer of the thermal barrier is made of a closed cell foam material such as polyurethane or silica foam, while the second layer is made of silica / calcium oxide fibers, silica / calcium oxide / magnesium oxide fibers, basalt fiber based needled pad, or alumina.

Problems solved by technology

The use of such vehicles, more specifically the use of vehicles which rely on fossil fuels, e.g., gasoline, creates two problems.

First, due to the finite size and limited regional availability of such fuels, major price fluctuations and a generally upward pricing trend in the cost of gasoline are common, both of which can have a dramatic impact at the consumer level.

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